The Insult Trap

The Politico points out something today that people need to read. Barack Obama is actually getting boosts in his popularity with every insult he shrugs off and accepts apologies for.

AUSTIN —They are so sorry.

In the course of the primary campaign, and perhaps in a preview of the fall election drama, Senator Barack Obama has accepted the apologies of three United States senators, a former senator, CNN and various lower-level supporters of Senator Hillary Clinton.

Most of them have apologized for saying something insensitive about Obama’s race, his name, or his heritage. And the dynamic of outrage and offense this campaign has proved race to be a much touchier subject than gender. At times, Obama’s campaign has sought to downplay burgeoning outrage. At others, he’s stoked it for political advantage.

But most of the flaps ended the same way: With Obama forgiving the alleged offender. Sometimes he’s accepted the apologies graciously, sometimes sternly, but always in line with his message. And that message of reconciliation – often explicitly racial reconciliation – is a central part of his campaign’s appeal. With a general election that appears likely to open him to more Republican attacks, and more line-crossing, the campaign ritual of offense and forgiveness appears likely to be repeated often this year.

This is exactly why I wrote that earlier post about Obama's middle name. This is the trap people are falling into. The only way to win a rigged game is to refuse to play. The media is going to blow up everything they can possibly construe (or even misconstrue) as an insult into a major issue, bet on it.

Refuse to play, folks.

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11 Responses to The Insult Trap

First point — I agree, insults won’t work. There is enough emptiness to go around. Get him away from the teleprompter and he is cooked.Second point — The cult will lose interest. Not possible to sustain this level of worship for the long months ahead.

I don’t know, the one who controls the microphone controls the message; one can say cults never last however if no one is around to challenge the cult how will cultist ever know they’re in a cult?
People have been able to sustain worship, if any form, for thosands of years so why would worship of an Messiah-like character be any different.
As time goes by the faithful become more faithful until something outside their faith comes along to challenge the faithful, ex the Catholic Church lost a lot of faithful when priests got caught molesting children.
My own faith in liberalism was lost when I woke up one morning to see airplanes fly into civilian buildings.
Much of Obama’s faithful come from people who believe sincerely in their hearts that America is an evil empire and must be changed, who or what will be able to disrupt their faith? The media, McCain, hollywood? Being attacked on 9/11/2001 obviously didn’t change their belief, on the contrary it made them even more faithful to the belief that American is an evil empire.
Who or what will disrupt those who worship Obama?

Can’t use BHO’s middle name, can’t call him a liberal. Have you noticed that the dems are now playing the role of censor? They are telling the repubs what they can and can’t say about Obama and the repubs are readily complying.

It’s not an insult if it’s true. The key to this is to check facts brutally, then stick to your claims.I posted on my own blog that I believe there’s sufficient evidence to suspect Obama of being, as Alan Keyes charged, a hard-core academic Marxist. Not enough to convict — not yet. But enough to convince the Grand Jury and initiate the investigation.I’ve written about this on my blog, at http://www.plumbbobblog.com/?p=215, and invite comment.

And the traps have to be "baited" to work…Obama is playing the political game very, very well. HRC’s campaign is falling apart, and their tried & true tactic of attacking their opponents is finally failing. Perhaps the personal attacks will cease, and a discussion of issues with details instead of sound bites will ensure. Riiiiiight…when crabs (!) fly…